“Our head of security gave us a big thumbs up. He was very impressed with the product after using it in operation. I'm very satisfied with Hytera products,” said AngloGold Ashanti telecommunications manager Stefan van der Merwe.

Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, AngloGold Ashanti has a globally diverse, world-class portfolio of operations and projects. AngloGold Ashanti is the third-largest gold mining company in the world, measured by production. It has 17 gold mines in nine countries, as well as several exploration programmes in both established and new gold producing regions of the world.

With growing radio traffic, AngloGold Ashanti realised the inferiority of its obsolete analog communication system and recognised that it is essential and urgent to upgrade to a digital system. Besides, as the mines are underground and the working environment is very noisy, they expect crystal clear voice, visualised dispatching and real-time personnel locating services to maintain effective operations and maximise safety for their workers. In addition, the solution is supposed to be available for further upgrade in the future.

After a detailed on-site survey, Hytera set up an appropriate number of repeaters so that coverage could be assured across the whole area.

Hytera offered digital radios PD68XGMD and PD78XGMD that have 16 hours of battery life and an IP67 rating. Users can rely on their radios for day-to-day operations no matter the conditions. In addition to conventional voice services, the radios feature more powerful security functions such as man down that can further enhance emergency handling capabilities for managers; and a built-in GPS function that can assist managers to see where individual radios are in real time. Most importantly, the radios help respond to emergencies in a timely manner.

With Hytera SmartDispatch system, managers are able to dispatch, coordinate and communicate with workers in these two mines from a central location. Meanwhile, value-added features such as man down and GPS tracking ensure the safety of the mineworkers.